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Effingham County, Illinois
Effingham County is a county located in the U.S. state of Illinois. According to the 2010 census, it has a population of 34,242, which is a decrease of 0.1% from 34,264 in 2000. Its county seat is Effingham. History Effingham County was formed in 1855 out of Fayette and Crawford Counties. It may have been named after Thomas Howard, 3rd Earl of Effingham, who resigned his commission as general in the British army in 1775, refusing to serve in the war against the Colonies. The name is Anglo-Saxon for "Effa's house". New information suggests that the county was named after a surveyor who surveyed the area whose last name was Effingham. There is no written proof that the county was named after Lord Effingham. File:Effingham County Illinois 1831.png|Effingham County at the time of its creation in 1831 ]] Geography According to the 2010 census, the county has a total area of , of which (or 99.74%) is land and (or 0.26%) is water. Just west of Effingham, Illinois on Interstate 70 there is a 198 ft. White Cross. 50,000 travellers are estimated to pass the site each day. It is the world's second biggest cross, and took over 200 tons of steel to erect. Adjacent counties * Cumberland County - northeast * Jasper County - east * Clay County - south * Fayette County - west * Shelby County - northwest Major highways * Interstate 57 * Interstate 70 * US Route 40 * US Route 45 * Illinois Route 32 * Illinois Route 33 * Illinois Route 128 Settlements Cities * Altamont * Effingham Towns * Mason Villages * Beecher City * Dieterich * Edgewood * Montrose (west three-quarters) * Shumway * Teutopolis * Watson Townships Effingham County is divided into fifteen townships: Politics Effingham County is one of Illinois's most Republican counties, if not the most. In the 2008 U.S. Presidential election, John McCain carried the county by a 36% margin over Illinois's native son Barack Obama, making it McCain's strongest county in the state, with Obama carrying his home state by a 25.1% margin over McCain.U.S. Election Atlas Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 34,264 people, 13,001 households, and 9,178 families residing in the county. The population density was 72 people per square mile (28/km²). There were 13,959 housing units at an average density of 29 per square mile (11/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 98.66% White, 0.16% Black or African American, 0.18% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.46% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 54.4% were of German, 14.5% American, 7.8% English and 6.3% Irish ancestry according to Census 2000. 97.6% spoke English and 1.2% Spanish as their first language. There were 13,001 households out of which 36.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.80% were married couples living together, 9.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.40% were non-families. 26.10% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.16. In the county the population was spread out with 28.60% under the age of 18, 8.20% from 18 to 24, 28.20% from 25 to 44, 21.10% from 45 to 64, and 13.90% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 98.20 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.50 males. The median income for a household in the county was $39,379, and the median income for a family was $46,895. Males had a median income of $31,442 versus $21,121 for females. The per capita income for the county was $18,301. About 6.00% of families and 8.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.10% of those under age 18 and 7.10% of those age 65 or over. Climate and weather }} In recent years, average temperatures in the county seat of Effingham have ranged from a low of in January to a high of in July, although a record low of was recorded in January 1915 and a record high of was recorded in July 1954. Average monthly precipitation ranged from in January to in July. See also * National Register of Historic Places listings in Effingham County, Illinois References * History of Southern Illinois, George Washington Smith, 1912. * United States Census Bureau 2007 TIGER/Line Shapefiles * United States Board on Geographic Names (GNIS) * United States National Atlas External links * Effingham County History & Genealogy Category:Counties of Illinois Category:Effingham County, Illinois Category:Established in 1831